The Butler weekly times., 1887-02-09
AN UNLUCKY MAN.
p.usrkab'e Personal Experioncs OF
a Famous Engineer.

Famous EuKheoTs
a,,houob Brunei, the celebrated en-
-, Who built the Great Eastern.
III a the comparatively early age Of
q !, 4 even matter of surprise tnat he
y,sl 70 long. He had more perilous
- .'s.oes from violent death than fall to
a jol Of most men.
Al The outset OF his career. when act
- r ssistantengIneer 10 his father.
|. making the Thames Tunnel. he had
- narrow escapes from drowning BY
~ river suddenly bursting in upon the
,orks Some time after. when inspect
- tho shafts Of the railway tunnel un-
= Box Hill. he was one day riding a
a,sgy pony at . rapid rate down the
lIIi shen the animal stumbled and fell.
,isching the engineer on his head with
mai violence; hs was taken up for
IN, bal eventually recovered .
Wbsn the Great Western line was
loisbed and at work he used frequent
h,o ride upon the engine with the
irrver. and occasionally he drove it him
~ One day. when passing through
~ Box Tunnel upon The engine ut c0n-
,idsrsbls speed. Brunei thought he dis
nrpsd between him and the light some
sbi,cs Standing on the same line OF
nd along which his engine was tray
ding He instantly turned on the full
aum and dashed Mt the object, which
vas driven into thousand pieces.
d siisrwarls turned out 10 be con-
k,csor's truck, which had broken loose
tpm ballast-trAin ON its way through
T. tunnel. Another narrow escape
vhjch he had was on board the Great
Westsru Steamship. where he fell down
sAaichway into the hold and Was near
y killed.
But The most extraordinary accident
which bstell him WAS that which oc-
cared while one day playing with his
AAdrsn. Like his father. Sir Isambard.
y was fond Of Astonishing them with
asight.ot.hand tricks. in which he dis.
playsd considerable dexterity. and the
hi which be proposed to them on this
eocasion WAS passing Of half-sovcreign
lArpugh his mouth out OF his car. Un-
hCtunaiely hs swallowed the coin.
vhlch dropped into his windpipe.
The accident occurred April 3, 1e4S.
aad'it Was followed by frequent fits Of
pashing and occasional uneasiness in
~ right side OF tho chest. but 20 slight
vas the disturbance of breathing thn,
kwas for some time doubted whether
~ coin had really fallen into the wind.
pa After the lapse of fifteen days Sil
} Brodie met Mr.. Key in consultation,
md they concurred in the opiniOn tina,
npst probably the half-sovereign wal
lodsed ut the bottom of the right
beOnchus.
The day aftsr. Mr. Brunei placed him
slf In prone position on his face upor
soms chairs. and, bending his head and
seek downwards. he distinctly felt ths
coin drop towards the glottis. A violen
cough ensued. and on resuming th,
9ect posture he felt rs il the objec
again novel downwards into the chest
Here was an engineering difficult,
he like of which Mr.. Brunei had neve
bsfore encountered. The mischief va
purely mechanical; a foreign body hat
gone into his breathing apparatus. ant
must be removed. if it all. BY some me
shauical oxpedient Mr.. Brunei was
however. equal to the occasion. He ha,
an apparatus constructed consisting Q
aplatform which moved upon a hing
IN the centre. Upon this he had him
sslf strapped. and his body was then. in
yssted, in order that the coin Nigh
dup downward by its own weight, an
b % expelled.
AZ The first experiment the coin ngai
hpped towards the CLOTHS, but
, caused such An alarming fit of convu
ave coughing and appearance of chol
mg that danger was apprehended. an
the experiment was discontinued. Tvs
days later. the 25th. the operation {
escheotomy was performed by Sir Bel
amin Brodie, assisted by MIR. Key. wit
ths intention of extracting the coin b
NFcepa II possible. Two attempts to 4
- we're made without success
Tho introduction of the forceps in,
" windpipe on the second Oc 'asic
wa attended with so excessive = degr,
airitali0n that it was felt the ex,~.l
oent could not be continued witho
eaagsr Of life. The incision IN Il
vindpipe wAs, however. kept open
means Of . quill or tube until May !
y which time Mr.. Brunels strength b,
eehicienuy recovered TO enable the Q
ginal experiment to b repeated.
He was again strapped to his appa,
=; his body was inverted; his ba
wss struck gently. and he dlstinc
- the coin quit its place on the rig
- Of bic chest The opening in {
whdpipe allowed him to breathe. VII
" throat was stopped by the coin. .
Mshus had the effect Of preventing
spesmodic action Of the glottia Ate
sw coughs the coin dropped into
mouth.
N. Brunei used afterwards to ,
"a the moment when he heard
80 piecs strike against his upper fr,
IA wa perhaps, the most exquii